Senator Padilla Spanish Response to SOTU

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) highlighted the growing chorus of elected officials, California and national community organization leaders, Latino advocates, and labor unions who are applauding his Spanish language response to President Trump’s State of the Union Address.

Previous releases walking through his speech are available here in English and aquí en español.

A full list of supporter quotes is available here.

California Governor Gavin Newsom: “In his speech, President Trump painted a picture of fear and grievance. In his response, Senator Padilla laid out a vision focused on what actually matters: supporting working families, protecting rights, lowering costs, and standing up to Trump’s dangerous policies. The American people will choose the latter this November.”

California State Senate Leader Monique Limón: “The State of the Union failed to recognize the impact this administration has on California and the nation. From tariffs to healthcare to immigration – policies under this administration directly affect the millions of people living in the Golden State. The cuts from H.R. 1 could potentially cost California millions of dollars a day to help fill the gaps in essential services like health care, SNAP benefits, childcare, and more. Americans will directly pay the price for this administration’s decisions. I am grateful to Senator Padilla for amplifying the real impacts this administration is having on California.”

Senator Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach), Chair of the California Latino Legislative Caucus: “We are tired of the lies and the blatant disregard for the law by this federal administration. It’s time for real progress grounded in facts with sensible plans, not corrupt schemes that enrich billionaires while working families pay the price. I’m proud to stand with Senator Alex Padilla and grateful for his leadership in setting the record straight to help move our country forward.”

Majority Whip Assemblymember Mark González (D-Los Angeles): “Donald Trump has never had a stable relationship with the truth. Americans are NOT okay. Families are struggling to keep up with rising costs. Workers are watching their rights erode. Immigrant communities are living in fear as masked agents turn our neighborhoods into battlegrounds. Our standing in the world has been weakened by reckless leadership driven by ego instead of principle. Unconstitutional tariffs. Economic instability. Attacks on democratic norms. This is what happens when a man who sees himself as a king is allowed to treat government like a personal playground. We will not normalize this chaos. We will not sit quietly while institutions are hollowed out and communities are scapegoated. We will not allow the federal government to implode under the weight of one man’s ambition and temper tantrums. We will fight back, with facts, with organizing, with courage, and with unwavering commitment to the people we serve. I stand firmly with Senator Alex Padilla and am deeply grateful for his steady, principled leadership. In one of the most challenging chapters of our federal government, his commitment to truth, accountability, and democracy continues to shine. We are not powerless. And we are not backing down.”

Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer (D-San Antonio), Former Chairman of the Texas House Democratic Caucus and Mexican American Legislative Caucus: “Everyday Americans are working harder while their paychecks are getting smaller. The state of our union is unaffordable groceries, insurance and electricity costs are pricing our families out of the American dream, and our neighbors being terrorized on our streets. Last night, Donald Trump looked directly into the eyes of the American people and lied. Senator Padilla responded for us, for the people, and addressed the actual state of our union. He addressed the pressing concerns of Americans across the nation while uplifting the vital contributions of immigrants. He acknowledged the fear, uncertainty, and hardships our communities are facing completely alone, with their government abandoning them in their hour of need. Voters are listening. They know Trump has made our streets more dangerous. They know he has raised the cost of living and stripped people of their health care. They know that he will do anything to stay in power, including start wars and feign voter fraud. They’re tired of his lies, and they’ll show him they mean business in November. Thank you, Senator Padilla, for speaking for all of us.”

Erica Bernal-Martinez, CEO of NALEO (National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials): “In his Spanish response, Senator Alex Padilla spoke to the real concerns facing Latino communities — from fear and uncertainty around immigration enforcement to the economic pressures families are facing — while affirming the vital contributions of immigrants to our nation’s strength. As a former President of NALEO, he reflects the leadership of Latino public servants on the frontlines working to protect the right to vote, expand pathways to citizenship, and advance practical solutions that help families build stability and opportunity. We commend his continued commitment to principled, solutions-driven leadership grounded in our nation’s core values.”

Maria Teresa Kumar, President and CEO of Voto Latino: “Senator Padilla is the voice we need at this moment, and his message last night spoke directly not only to Latinos, but to all Americans about the unprecedented reality our country faces. Last night, Senator Padilla delivered an urgent call for civic participation in our electoral process as a form of resistance, an act of love, and orgullo (pride). His impressive political trajectory is one that should be celebrated and uplifted. He embodies the true spirit of public service to our nation. As a Senator from the great state of California and a dear personal friend, I congratulate him on his powerful response and heed his call to encourage all Americans to get involved, register to vote, and make their voices heard to protect democracy.”

Julián Castro, CEO, Latino Community Foundation: “Tonight, the American people heard little of what the federal administration will do to lower costs, protect their communities, and safeguard democracy. From violent and unconstitutional immigration raids to illegal tariffs that are hurting small business owners and consumers, the Latino community has borne a disproportionate impact of the administration’s policies with no relief in sight. The Latino Community Foundation sees a brighter America – one where children can go to school without masked agents roaming their neighborhoods, where entrepreneurs can grow their business free from economic uncertainty, and where the right to vote is respected, not denied. We thank Senator Alex Padilla, the first Latino to represent California in the U.S. Senate, who uplifted a strong positive vision for America’s future in his response to the president’s address tonight.”

Erica Lomeli Corcoran, Chief Executive Officer, UFW Foundation: “Sen. Padilla has always been an ally to the farm worker movement and a supporter of immigrant rights, and we are proud to see him deliver a Spanish rebuttal to the State of the Union Address. Sen. Padilla’s message was a unifying call that was incredibly needed. We need more leaders like Sen. Padilla, who not only talks the talk but also walks the walk. He was one of the only two senators to answer our Take Our Jobs challenge, spending a day working the fields in California alongside farm workers. We support his message of creating a better society not only for immigrants and farm workers, but for all who live and work in the United States. Americans demand and deserve accountability, stability, and a country that uplifts them. Si Se Puede!”

Angelica Salas, Executive Director, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA): “President Trump’s State of the Union address was deeply disconnected from the lived reality of most Americans and profoundly insulting to the immigrant communities who strengthen and sustain this country every day. While working families struggle with rising costs, threats to civil liberties, and attacks on fundamental rights, the Trump Administration continues to choose distortion over truth and division over unity. His obsession demonizing immigrants overall erases the invaluable contributions of immigrants—workers, neighbors, and families who love this country and help it thrive. His hardline approach to immigration enforcement has sown terror, division, and discontent in every community across the homeland. We reject this dangerous narrative and stand firmly with our communities, and with leadership like Senator Padillas’s, rooted in truth, dignity, and respect for all people who call this nation home.”

Jerry Gonzalez, CEO, GALEO Impact Fund: “Donald Trump’s address failed to address the real challenges facing Georgia’s Latinx community, from protecting voting rights to advancing meaningful immigration reform and lowering costs for working families. Instead of division, our communities need solutions grounded in dignity, inclusion, and opportunity. GALEO Impact Fund is grateful for Senator Alex Padilla’s response, which lifted up a vision centered on protecting rights, strengthening democracy, and ensuring every family has a fair chance to thrive.”

California Community Foundation: “At the California Community Foundation, our mission is to ensure all Angelenos can access the good life, which depends on a thriving democracy that upholds our constitutional rights and core American values. At a moment when families are separated without due process, access to health care and housing is stripped from hardworking people, cost of living continues to squeeze families, and trust in our elections is under strain, the State of our Union can feel bleak and uncertain. It is in these moments that we must lift our voices to demand better. We are proud to stand alongside elected leaders working for our communities, not against them — including our fellow Angeleno, Senator Alex Padilla, who will deliver the Spanish Democratic response to the State of the Union tonight. At CCF, we will continue advancing work at the intersection of democracy, immigration, and community stability, because a strong democracy is essential to a thriving Los Angeles.”

Efrain Escobedo, Board Chair, Mi Familia Vota: “Saving our democracy begins with centering those in the cross-hairs of the Trump Administration’s enforcement assault. This response is a reminder that many of them are Latino, naturalized citizens, voters!”

Luz Gallegos, Executive Director, TODEC: “Si no tenemos campesinos vivos, fuertes, y presentes, no hay comida, no hay economia, no hay California.” // “Federal actions against our communities have targeted families that are barely making ends meet. We are grateful to Senator Alex Padilla for using his platform to stand up for what’s right — fighting for workers, immigrants, and the next generation of leaders. Now, more than ever, we need leaders in the U.S. Senate and in Congress to speak up for the families that keep our local economies running strong. We thank Senator Padilla for his remarks and his recognition of the dignity of millions of families with immigrant roots who call America home.”

Nilza Serrano, Chair of the Latino Caucus for the California Democratic Club and President of Avance, the largest Latino Democratic Club in the United States: “Senator Alex Padilla met the President’s State of the Union with clarity, courage, and a pragmatic vision rooted in reality, not rhetoric. At a time when we are hearing divisive, draconian proposals wrapped in chaos and grievance, Senator Padilla is doing what serious leaders do: he is holding the line. He is standing up not only for Latino families, but for every working family in this country that believes in democracy, dignity, and opportunity. We need leaders who challenge extremism with intelligence and integrity, and Senator Padilla continues to do exactly that.”

Antonieta Cádiz, Directora Ejecutiva de Climate Power En Acción: “Por más de un año hemos visto las consecuencias del liderazgo errático y fallido de Donald Trump. Esta noche hizo su mejor esfuerzo por continuar distrayéndonos con espejismos, pero sabemos la verdad. Nuestra comunidad vive con miedo, nuestro presupuesto está cada día más apretado, nuestras cuentas de electricidad están cada día más caras, tras eliminar inversiones esenciales para bajar los costos y disminuir la contaminación. Lo que él llama progreso económico son regalías para los más ricos mientras aprieta nuestros bolsillos.”

Blue Turn Indivisible: “Blue Turn Indivisible stands with Senator Padilla as he delivers the Democratic Spanish-language response to Trump’s State of the Union, speaking directly to all of us about what this moment really demands. We applaud his insistence that Americans deserve leaders who tell the truth about what is going on in the country and the world, are accountable to voters, defend our Constitutional rights, rein in rogue federal agencies instead of weaponizing them against our communities, and safeguard our multiracial democracy from authoritarian attacks.”

Indivisible San Francisco: “We are pleased and proud to see California’s first Latino Senator, Alex Padilla, representing us on the national stage to deliver the Spanish-language response to the SOTU. Thank you for stepping up to speak about our communities’ real economic challenges, MAGA attacks on voting rights, and accountability for the federal government’s weaponization of enforcement agencies against immigrants and US citizens alike.”

La Jolla Indivisible: “La Jolla Indivisible is proud that Senator Alex Padilla will deliver the Democratic Spanish language response to SOTU. We see every day how President Trump is undermining the health, welfare and financial viability of our communities, especially through his cruel immigration and deportation policies. Irreparable harm is being done to immigrant families who have lived and worked in our communities for years. We also thank you for speaking out and fighting to protect our Constitutional right to vote. Your leadership is vital.”

Indivisible Westside LA: “We are proud to see California’s first Latino Senator, Alex Padilla, representing us on the national stage to deliver the Spanish-language response to the SOTU. We stand with the Senator as he fights the regime’s out-of-control immigration and mass deportation agenda, Donald Trump’s failing economic policies, and the administration’s consistent attacks on voting rights and access to the ballot box.”

Indivisible East Bay: “Indivisible East Bay is proud to stand with our Sen. Alex Padilla, CA’s first Latino senator, and we look forward to his State of the Union response in Spanish. Sen. Padilla is standing up against the Trump Administration’s weaponization of DHS agencies and their lawless abuses including the atrocious conditions in Trump’s concentration camps. We join his urgent call to protect our elections which Trump and Republicans in Congress are trying to undermine. We stand with him in opposing Trump’s disastrous economic and healthcare policies and in calling out the corruption of the most criminal, self-dealing, and dangerous president in the history of our country. Thank you Sen. Padilla!”